Bottom mount refrigerators include a freezer compartment on the bottom, with the fresh food or refrigerator compartment above the freezer compartment. One or more doors provide access to the fresh food compartment, and a separate door provides access to the freezer compartment. The freezer door or doors may be drawer-type doors that are pulled out, or they may be hingedly connected similar to the refrigerator compartment doors, such that they are rotated to provide access within.
Both the refrigerator doors and the freezer doors may include shelves, bins, and other storage compartments positioned on the inside of the doors. The storage compartments are sized and positioned to provide additional storage to maximize the amount of usable space within the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Some of the door mounted storage compartments may also be removable. The removability of the compartments allows for the compartments to be more easily cleaned, while also providing a chilled, stand-alone unit for storing and accessing perishable food items outside of the refrigerator.
Current refrigerators include bins that can be tilt out and removed from the door or within the cabinet of the refrigerator. However, many of the tilt out and/or removable bins are hard to be removed or even impossible. In addition, many include complex and expensive mechanisms. For example, some tilt out and/or removable storage bins include a button that is pushed to mechanically release the bin from a housing. The disadvantage to this type of storage compartment is that the components are complex and expensive. The assemblies must include multiple moving parts that lock the storage compartment in place, while also providing for a button to release the compartment to be able to tilt out or remove the compartment from the refrigerator.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a refrigerator having an improved tilt out and/or removable storage compartment assembly that is easy to use, easy to install, and less expensive than current versions.